IBS: Hey Chico, Are Your Bowels Irritating You?

One in five Americans suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).Are you one?

There are several things we usually don’t talk about in public – money, sex and ahem… our bowels. Yet we all go to the toilet every day, many times a day.

If we have chronic bowel problems, however some of us spend more time in the bathroom than we want to. And we certainly don’t want to talk about it.

If you are having persistent bowel problems you may be 1 of 5 Americans who suffer from a ‘functional’ digestion disorder known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS.

This is good news and bad news, and many people in the Chico and Redding areas know. The good news is that IBS is not a disease. There is no biological marker or test for IBS. It’s considered a condition or ‘syndrome’, which means it’s just a list of symptoms.

The bad news is - if you have IBS – well…you already know the bad news. IBS is inconvenient, painful, embarrassing and just plain irritating. Constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and discomfort, and bloating after eating are some of the all too familiar symptoms that people with IBS experience daily.

IBS treatments have stumped the medical profession. From a traditional medical perspective, there is not any known effective cure for IBS.

Some of you may have even tried these traditional suggestions from your doctor:

Eliminate certain foods.

Add more fiber.

Drink more water.

And they are not working. Why?

What‘s the Key?

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The first step to understanding how people in Redding and Chico get relief from IBS is to understand that individuality is key. One answer does not fit all.

People respond differently to different foods. That’s why Cousin Connor can eat a whole pizza and you spend the night in the bathroom. While lactose, fructose, alcohol, caffeine, fiber, fat and carbohydrates can be common triggers for IBS, each person has unique food triggers.

Different foods create different symptoms as well. Some foods triggers constipation while others trigger bloating and gas. Symptoms depends on what you eat, how much you eat and under what conditions you eat, for example, under stress.

Sometimes a person can tolerate a particular food, such as pasta, in small doses but larger amounts may cause problems. In addition, eating the same food several times may have a cumulative effect. One dose of your favorite food may be fine but problems may arise when you eat more of that same food too often.

To complicate matters even more, people in the Chico and Redding area may be allergic, sensitive or intolerant to the food you are eating. So not only can you not eat it because of how it affects your bowels; you can’t eat it because your body has an allergic type reaction.

Now… How Frustrating is all That?

For a person who is not feeling well that can be an awful lot to figure out.

If you have tried a more traditional approach without relief, it makes logical sense to try a more individual approach. You may want to consider the IBS treatment option offered by the Digestion Relief Center.

In our Chico clinic, we determine what is causing your IBS by evaluating the foods that are creating your problems - both from a digestive and food sensitivity perspective. Once we know the unique cause of your IBS, we can provide relief.

If you experience bolting indigestion constipation or diarrhea, you can live life free of the pain and embarrassment of IBS like thousands of others from Chico Redding and Northern California. Call Dr. Patrick’s Chico office at 530-899-8741 to schedule a consultation to see if our approach is right for you.